Creating Lives Worth Living

Abstract

This chapter explains that suicide prevention is more than just stopping people from dying; it is also about reducing the social conditions that negatively affect quality of life while strengthening the conditions that promote and foster meaningful lives that are worth living. Targeting multiple environmental hazards that increase the risk of suicidal behaviors is necessary to maximize the likelihood of impacting the many different types of individuals who are vulnerable to suicidal behavior. For many Americans, raising the minimum wage could either remove or reduce the hazards of economic insecurity and financial strain, and thereby may reduce their risk for suicide, even if only slightly. Making health insurance more accessible could reduce suicide rates by a few more percentage points. Environmental physical-health hazards warrant attention as well. These strategies address social and environmental hazards that cannot be remedied with mental health treatment.